In a poignant exploration of aging and memory, Alvaro Garcia presents a deeply introspective film centered on an elderly woman reflecting on her life. Drawing inspiration from the film archive of their local area in France, the director weaves a narrative that delves into the preservation of memories as time passes. With a background rooted in the rich history of French cinema from La Femis film school, Garcia brings a unique blend of heritage and personal perspective to the screen. In this interview, he discusses the inspirations, challenges, and creative choices behind this evocative project, offering insights into their artistic journey and the profound messages he hopes to convey to audiences.
UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): What inspired you to create a film centered on an aged woman reflecting on her life and memories?
Alvaro Garcia (AG): For this film, we collaborated with the film archive of my local area in France. This inspired us to create a story about life memories and how we preserve these memories as our bodies age.
(UM): How did your education at La Femis film school influence your approach to this film?
(AG): After my experience at La Femis, one of the most acclaimed Film Schools in Paris, I was inspired by the history that this place holds, as well as by the feedback from my teachers and fellow students. La Femis is also the former Pathé Studio, an historic site that has witnessed much of French cinema history. All these elements inspired me to create a film that blends cinema heritage and memories with my own perspective.
(UM): What challenges did you face while making this film, considering its introspective and emotional theme?
(AG): We decided to incorporate the Butoh Japanese Dance Theater style into our film, which was a significant challenge. Additionally, we aimed to work with natural light only (except for the candles). Despite these challenges, we had a lot of fun creating the film.
(UM): In what ways did your experience with Microfilms in Valparaiso shape your storytelling techniques in this project?
(AG): None.
(UM): How do you balance the creation of fiction films and advertising films at Ideafilms?
(AG): It’s simple… By making ads, we generate revenue, and with that money, we fund our films!
(UM): What was your process for translating the protagonist’s emotions and memories into visual elements?
(AG): We spent a considerable amount of time watching a lot of footage and archive films, observing the lives of the people in them. This helped us gain the inspiration needed to build our character.
(UM): Can you discuss any particular directorial choices you made to convey the passage of time and life in this film?
(AG): We aimed for a modern image with a limited and contrasted color palette, almost black and white. Since there is no dialogue, we wanted the camera to progressively get closer to our character to capture her feelings and emotions more intimately.
(UM): How did your award-winning experience with the short film Migration contribute to your approach in this project?
(AG): Previous projects are always a learning opportunity, especially from mistakes. The experience with Migration was a learning process that taught me a lot of valuable lessons, especially for working more efficiently with actors.
(UM): What message or feeling do you hope audiences take away from watching this film?
(AG): Enjoy life and cherish every single moment and the people around you.
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